1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a recovery device for preventing unsatisfactory ink discharge caused by clogging of the ink discharge port of a recording head in an ink jet recorder or drying of ink in the ink discharge port and to an operating method for recovery.
2. Related Background Art
An ink jet recorder is constructed such that ink is supplied into a recording head, driving elements (electro-thermal converting members such as heat generating elements or electro-mechanical converting members such as piezo elements) corresponding to a plurality of ink discharge ports formed in the front face of the recording head are driven on the basis of a data signal, and flying ink droplets going from the ink discharge ports toward a sheet (a recording medium such as paper or a thin plastic sheet) are formed and caused to adhere to the sheet, thereby accomplishing recording.
As ink jet recorder of this type, has been provided with a recovery device for effecting the capping of the ink discharge ports and the ink suction from the ink discharge ports for the purpose of preventing the viscosity of ink from being increased by evaporation of ink solvent or the ink discharge ports from being clogged by the drying of ink or the adherence of dust to the ink discharge ports or the mixing of bubbles with the ink.
Heretofore, in the recovery device of this type, design was such that when an undesirable condition such as unsatisfactory ink discharge occurs to the recording head, the user operates the device by a manual manipulation such as a lever operation to thereby recover the recording head from the undesirable condition.
However, in such a prior-art recovery device, there has been required an operation instruction label or the like for enabling the user to perform the recovery operation, and this has led to a problem that the user feels that operation of the recorder is cumbersome.
Also, if the user does not operate the device in accordance with predetermined instructions, it has given rise to a problem that the ink for recording is wastefully sucked and discharged.
Further, in an ink jet recorder of this type, there is also known one which is provided with a recovery device for carrying out the capping of the ink discharge ports, the ink suction from the ink discharge ports or the cleaning (wiping) of the surfaces of the ink discharge ports. The recovering function of such a recovery device may be divided broadly into the function of cleaning the surfaces of the ink discharge ports and the ink sucking function of removing the bubbles in the ink discharge ports or the ink increased in viscosity.
In such a prior-art ink jet recorder, the cleaning means for carrying out the cleaning function and the ink suction means for carrying out the ink sucking function have been of discrete independent constructions and therefore have required discrete drive sources (stepping motors or the like) and drive systems, which in turn has led to a problem that the number of parts is increased and the space required for the apparatus becomes large and the cost and size of the recorder tend to be increased.